December 2009
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2009 in Music - Best Albums, Tracks and Events
This year, I heard more than a few people say that music is in decline along with the industry; that today’s musicians aren’t doing anything new; that the primary reason the business is failing is lack of quality content. I couldn’t disagree more. 2009 was another terrific year for music.
I started ‘09 loving Animal Collective’s highly anticipated Merriweather Post...
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Best Tracks of 2009
As they do, certain tracks rose to the top of my most played list in 2009. These songs, the albums on which they were released, and of course thousands of others formed my year’s soundtrack. In no particular order, these are my 25 favorite tunes released in 2009. Don’t miss the download link at the bottom. Dump ‘em in a playlist, click shuffle, and enjoy!
Artist - Track Name...
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Best Albums of 2009
As always, this is an entirely uncritical list of my favorite albums. These are the ten records I listened to the most that I think will stick with me the longest. In alphabetical order with one clear exception, here are my best of 2009:
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion Antony & the Johnsons - The Crying Light The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love Bon Iver - Blood Bank The...
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-12-27) →
Real Estate (10)
Noah and the Whale (8)
Modest Mouse (7)
The Antlers (5)
Animal Collective (3)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
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My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-12-20) →
Tune-Yards (26)
Neko Case (18)
HEALTH (18)
Real Estate (15)
Here We Go Magic (14)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
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Here We Go Magic - Fangela
Listening to Luke...
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Tune-Yards' Bird-Brains makes Pitchfork Top Albums...
I’m super glad to see this album make the list of record.
Pitchfork: Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2009:
44. tUnE-yArDs BiRd-BrAiNs [Marriage/4AD]
Originally released on cassette (!) last year, the debut album by Merrill Garbus’ solo project made bigger ripples this year in this slightly expanded edition. Garbus is a fantastic songwriter with a very unusual sense of rhythm...
Sia - Breathe Me
I’m blasting this right...
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“Google is building out their own directory of local businesses with its Place...”
– Google In Discussions To Acquire Yelp For A Half Billion Dollars Or More
I think this acquisition is interesting mostly for the prospect of seeing Google stickers (a la Yelp stickers) in business windows.
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Joanna Newsom - Bridges and Balloons
Joanna...
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WatchJuan’s Basement: Wild Beast - All the King’s Men
This is one of headunderwater’s favorite tracks of 2009. Of course, it’s awesome.
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Carnegie Mellon University's 'smart parking' moves... →
Via smarterplanet:smartercities:ajmacisaac
“[Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are] developing what they call “smart parking” technology, slated for trials in spring in San Francisco, which would determine which spaces are open and tell drivers via cell phones, Web sites or electronic message boards where to go.”
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Tune-Yards - Fiya
For those who missed this the...
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-12-13) →
The Mountain Goats (27)
The Big Pink (26)
Mos Def (18)
Bibio (16)
Bon Iver (15)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
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Modern Jackass
As good Chicago alums, in multiple senses, my friend Mollie and I love This American Life with Ira Glass. My favorite episode is Recordings for Someone, which tells the story, in Act One, of the greatest phone message of all time (later sampled by my favorite band of all time, The Books). If you happened to miss this episode back in 2006… do yourself the favor.
Mollie and I share a mutual...
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DJ Zebra - Get It On My Mind (Pixies vs Marvin...
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The Big Pink - “Dominos”
I’m listening and...
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“In the final analysis, Vevo’s “evil” for a simple reason. The...”
– Umair Haque: How Vevo Makes Google More Like Coca-Cola
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Streampad Whatever You Want
This is cool, but still doesn’t allow me to play my Tumblr dashboard continuously. Does anyone know if this feature is in the works??
dankantor:pennedbyme: So, Streampad is actually really cool, letting you play all of the audio posts on a tumblr in a richer fashion.
Only problem is, you need to embed Javascript. So either the blog owner has it set up for you, or you make your own HTML...
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Thom Yorke - All For The Best (Miracle Legion...
Hype Machine Zeitgeist →
Zoiks! I better get my Best of list done before the 21st so I can be part of the Zeitgeist. This is an awesome idea.
zoya:
submit your year-end music lists here by Dec 21st. we spend the last week of the year working ceaselessly to compile these into the ultimate list, and all I can say is that there is something COMPLETELY AWESOME about the Zeitgeist this year.
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The Antlers - Two
I hate to tip my hand here, but...
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last chance to download all Francis and the Lights... →
(via francisandthelights)
My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-12-6) →
Elvis Presley (31)
The Beatles (22)
Raekwon (18)
Atlas Sound (12)
The Big Pink (11)
Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz
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Celebration - Open Your Heart
Another great...
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“The decline of the MBA will cut off the supply of bullshit at the source.”
– Lucy Kellaway for The Economist: The End of the affair | The World in 2010
WatchOur favorite scary lady in the whole wide world, Amanda Fucking Palmer, recently asked filmmaking friend Michael Pope to help her put together a video of her lip-dubbing Tegan and Sara’s latest single, “Hell,” while wandering the streets of Manhattan/Brooklyn and doing what she does best: Scaring the bejeezus out of passers-by.
Palmer says:
Some of the best parts of this experience are nowhere...
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“This newspaper believes that global warming is a serious threat, and that the...”
– The Economist | Climate change: A heated debate
Regarding the recent dust-up over contentious emails leaked from climate scientists.
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